Nuance Investments LLC Acquires Shares of 289,030 Avista Corporation $AVA

Key Points

• Nuance Investments acquired 289,030 Avista shares worth approximately $11.8 million, giving it a 2.0% portfolio allocation and about 0.35% ownership of the utility.
• Avista reported quarterly EPS of $0.43, beating the $0.23 consensus estimate, while revenue of $413 million fell short of expectations. The company reaffirmed fiscal-year EPS guidance of $2.52–$2.72.
• Analysts maintain a broadly neutral view, with a consensus “Hold” rating and a $39.25 price target. Avista also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.4925, equivalent to a 5.1% annualized yield.

Nuance Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Avista Corporation (NYSE:AVA - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 289,030 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $11,824,000. Avista makes up 2.0% of Nuance Investments LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Nuance Investments LLC owned approximately 0.35% of Avista at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AVA. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of Avista by 90.7% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 637 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Bayban acquired a new position in Avista during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Avista in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in Avista in the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Avista in the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. 85.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AVA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Avista from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $39.00 price objective on Avista in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Avista from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Zacks Research raised shares of Avista from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Avista from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $39.25.

Avista Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE:AVA opened at $38.99 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. Avista Corporation has a 12-month low of $35.50 and a 12-month high of $43.50. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $40.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.08, a P/E/G ratio of 3.67 and a beta of 0.25.

Avista (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.20. Avista had a return on equity of 7.85% and a net margin of 11.83%.The business had revenue of $413.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $426.93 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.17 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. Avista has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.520-2.720 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Avista Corporation will post 2.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Avista Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 18th will be paid a $0.4925 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 18th. This represents a $1.97 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.1%. Avista's dividend payout ratio is 71.12%.

About Avista

Avista Corporation operates as an integrated energy company providing electric and natural gas delivery services to residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Pacific Northwest. Through its regulated utility operations, the company maintains and upgrades an extensive transmission and distribution network, delivering reliable energy to approximately 400,000 electric customers and 324,000 natural gas customers across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. In addition to its core utility business, Avista invests in owned generation assets, including hydroelectric, natural gas–fired, coal and wind facilities, to support system reliability and long-term supply planning.

Founded in 1889 as the Spokane and Inland Empire Water Power Company, the business adopted the Avista name in 1999 to reflect its growing energy portfolio and strategic focus on innovation.

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